Improvement in potato-diggers



ZSheets-Sheet l'. I.-HOBSON & 0.1. BEYMER.

POTATO-BIGGER.

Patented. MaylG, 1876.

III I l ll Z Sheets-+8111? at Z. I. HOBSON & 0. J'. BEYMER.

. POTATO-BIGGER. N 177,333, Patented May16,1876.

Fly/:2

N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHEH, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATESPATENT-OFFICE.

1111s HoBsoN ANDI OSBORN J. BEYMER, or FORT scorr, KANSAS.

. IMPROVEMENT lN POTATO-DIGGEQRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,333, dated May 16,1876 application filed A September 18, 1875. a

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, lars HoBsoN and OSBORNJ. BEYMER, of Fort Scott, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers; andwe do hereby declare the followingto' be a full, clear, and exact(lescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of our invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section; and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of receiving-box.Fig. 4 is a detail view.

Our invention has relation to potato-diggers; and consists in the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangements of parts in an implementhaving means for digging, screening, and gathering the potatoes, cuttingthe obstructin g vines, adjusting the plow and screen, and elevating andlowering the frame, all as hereinafter more particularly described andspecifically claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

-A designates a rectangular oblong frame,

mounted upon two wheels, at a, which are attached to a suitable axle,b,journaled in the lower ends of two vertical standards, b I),

attached to the inner surface of the main.

frame A, which may be adjustable for the purpose of allowing said frameto be convenient- 1y raised and lowered. One of the wheels at is looseupon its spindle, while the other is secured to-and gives motion to theaxle, which is provided with eccentrics or cams c, for agitating thescreen, as hereinafter set forth.. B designates the share, situated inthe forward part of the implement, and having converging inclined facesor sides, terminating at their rearmost parts in vertical upwardextensions 0, having a slight pitch or inclination backward, and havingtheir front edges sharpened. The share is attached to a central blade, 6which is strengthened by diagonal braces e 0 designates the sides orframe'of the elevator and screen, attached to the upright portions e ofthe share, at the back edges thereof, and thence extending upward andrearward in the direction of a curve, having inclines on opposite sidesof the axle. D are the screen and elevator rods, secured to the backpart of the share, and thence proceeding backward in a directioncorresponding to that of the frame 0. These are supported by transversebars D, &c., connecting the sides of the frame 0, as shown. The sides offrame C rest upon the cams c, and between the disks 0, \vhich'areattached to the sides of said cams, to hol.d the frame in place. men talor curved standards, secured to the sides ofthe share, and passingupward between the flanges of suitable guides E attached to the frame Aby pivots, upon which said guides vmay turn, to allow the pitch of theshare to be varied. E are lever-arms attached to the standards E, andengaging, near their rear ends, with racks F formed on'the standards b,being held by suitable spring-plates E, attached to standards b. is arock-shaftjournaled to, the standards E. G is a lever attached to saidrock-shaft, and having suitable connection 9 at the end of its shortarm, with.

the tongue-rod h. At its rear end the lever G has a catch, G by means ofwhich it engages with a rack, H, rising from the front of the driversplatform H. The platform H is supported upon rods I, and holds anadjustable seat, K, having a screw, L, passing through a longitudinalslot, m, in said platform and allowing the seat to be secured at anysuitable place. Mdesignates a receiver, having flanged sides and front,the latter being inclined so as to pass easily over the surface of theground. N is a rod passing transversely through said receiver at itsforward part, and close to its bottom. This rod is operated upon itsaxis by means of a lever, n, and is provided with a spur, 0, for apurpose hereinafter stated'. N are oblique or inclined rods attached tothe frame A, and supporting the receiver N. M is a box adapted to lie inthe receiver, and provided with cleats or flanges 0, which pass down infront of the rod N, and on each side of the spur. P are smallsharp-edged rotary cutters or colters, supported by arms 10, forward ofand in contact with the edges of the share sides S, so as to formrolling shears. R represents the tongue, having the side braces 1'extended back from their points of attachment to the rod h, and formed,

E represents segeach extensionJz, with a. notch to receive a: pin, i,projecting from the corresponding :side i of the frame.

The operation is as follows: The implement is drawn by horses, and whenin motion, the potatoes are dug by the share, which upturns the soil.The potatoesarethencaused to peas 5 upward over the screen, and are byits agitation relieved of the adhering earth, after which they fall intothe box at the "rear end of the implement. As soon as the box is filled,it is I tilted by turning the rod N, so that the spur 0 will raise theflanges o" from themed, This 1 .The height is regulated by 2 mesa 'bleto regulate independently its pitch Orrinclinaticn, the sfulcmmedatandarils rlli, #10;

l versEfi-snbstantiallyas and shown;

2. The share B, adjustable .to regulate its 'pitch or inclination andvertical height, e-

spectively, substantially as described and 1 show-n.

3. In combination with the shareB,adjustable vertically, and to regulateits pitch, the

slidingstandards and pivoted guide-plates E substantially as described;

4. The receiver M, rod H, spur o, and levern,lcomhinedsandzarrangedsnhitaatiallyasand wfor thezpurpose specified.

5, The box M, having the flangeso o, in

combination with the receiverM, having the rod N, with spur Q as MdJorethe described.

August, e

IRIS "HQBSON. a

QSBGRNJMBEXMER. Witnesses: t i

M. Gaseous, Joel. Bummer.

In testimony that meclaim {the foregoing lwe a have hereunto set tomhands a this 4th day ,of

